Mickeys halloween party

[sovietsong]

Hi all - bit in advance this one - anyone done the mickeys halloween party ? What's your opinion on it ? I see it's a seperate ticket event ,so I only need to buy an extra ticket and not use up one of my 7 days pass as well ?

 

[foxxxy83]

We MNSSHP last year and went in fancy dress... we did a superheroes theme (I was Supergirl and my DS was Iron Man - loads of people kept shouting "hey look, it's Iron Man!" as he was walking past which he LOVED coz he's a proper little poser sometimes! Lol!) You're right in thinking you need an extra ticket for the party but you do need an admission ticket to the park as well. The party itself starts at 7.30 but they do let people in from around half 4. We REALLY enjoyed ourselves but it was REALLY busy (a sell out night I believe) when we were there. My DS is one of those who will go in search of character M&G's rather than rides so it was good that there were a lot of characters there that we wouldn't have met otherwise like the 7 dwarves. Trick or treating is cool as well and the whole atmosphere is buzzing. I know there's quite a few people on here who have done the party a lot more than me and will be much more insightful and have tips on how to make the most of the night if you do decide to go but just thought would stick my experience on here for what it's worth

 

[foxxxy83]

Oh and we're planning on going again this year so if anyone has any costume ideas, that would be awesome! TIA!

 

[2Tiggies]

Hi all - bit in advance this one - anyone done the mickeys halloween party ? What's your opinion on it ? I see it's a seperate ticket event ,so I only need to buy an extra ticket and not use up one of my 7 days pass as well ?

Hi, we've done 6 of them to date and loved them all. We've been to 2 that were sold out and they really weren't that bad. A sold out party night has far fewer guests in the park than a crowded day, but wait times for attractions are relatively short.

You can enter on your party ticket from around 4 pm, although it officially starts at 7. You do not need to use one of your park days if you enter from 4 pm onwards so it's a good day to use as a rest day or to do DTD or spend time at the pool if you want to bank that extra entry day.

We did 3 parties on our last trip and it effectively gave us 17 park entries on a 14 day ticket which worked out great. We met characters who are not usually available for meet and greets, parade as really brilliant and Hallowishes is superb too. Also looted over 26kg of candy over the course of the 3 parties and clearly were not able to bring it all back with us but it is always a blast. Do you have young children? I think if you can last until at least the end of the fireworks and possibly the second parade, you've done well on value for your ticket.

September parties also tend to be a little cheaper than the October ones which helps if you are buying a fair number of tickets.

 

[sovietsong]

It wud just be me and my teen daughter so we should last well into the night -sounds great and I'm not really fussed about Halloween tbh ,now to sort out a costume for a overweight middle age pale skinned Brit lmao

 

[2Tiggies]

It wud just be me and my teen daughter so we should last well into the night -sounds great and I'm not really fussed about Halloween tbh ,now to sort out a costume for a overweight middle age pale skinned Brit lmao

As a party of two with no young children you can really get a lot done.

Are you wanting to dress up? We don't care about Halloween either, but the party is really special. Last trip was the first time I dressed up. Up until then only my daughter did and I just went in whatever I'd put on that morning. It's entirely optional and you won't feel left out either way, but it was a lot of fun going in costume and the ride pics are pretty cool too.

 

[Elise79]

I haven't don't a MNSSHP for a couple years as we are now tied to school holidays

Anyway, yes the Halloween party is worth it (unlike the Xmas party IMO). If you don't go to a park before 4pm you won't need to use a day off of your 7 day pass only your party ticket.

After 4 they have a separate entry point set up so you can go in on your party ticket.

We dressed up - I will try and find the photos later and post them. I am sure others can post theirs too?

(We had a 3 year old last time and still made it till midnight!)

 

[wilma-bride]

You're right in thinking you need an extra ticket for the party but you do need an admission ticket to the park as well. The party itself starts at 7.30 but they do let people in from around half 4.

Sorry foxxxy83, but this isn't correct.

OP, to clarify, if you only intend to go to Magic Kingdom for the Halloween Party, you do not need to use a day from your normal park admission but do need to buy a ticket for the party. However, foxxxy is right in that they do let people in early for the party (usually around 4 o'clock but I don't know the exact time as I've never arrived much before 5 at the earliest). In the past, they have had a separate entrance point for partygoers, which they will open around 4. You get a wristband to identify you as partygoer and they hand out trick or treat bags and a map of the candy trails.

If you are already in the park, having decided to use a day's admission that day, there are stations set up that you can go to, for collecting your wristband, bag and map.

We have been to MNSSHP 3 times and absolutely loved it every time. Fo rme, Hallowishes and the Parade alone are worth the extra admission. There are a lot of people who view the party as a way of getting on the rides without the big lines and that is probably why, understandably, you will hear some people complain as, if it is a sold ut event, the lines can be pretty long. For us, it's not about the rides but the extras, such as the parade, fireworks, dance parties, characters in costume and candy trails. And, for this alone, I think it is worth the extra.

The way we did it the first time was to get an ADR in the park for around 5 (at The Plaza), where we met some friends and had dinner. Other times, we have just arrived at the park around 5 but we tended to just wander around as there isn't much party stuff happening until later (the party doesn't officially start until 7).

People do dress up but you won't feel out of place if you decide not to. We don't dress up but the kids did one year and it was nice to see them made a fuss of by the characters. For example, my DS was dressed as Peter Pan and Captain Hook pretended to have a sword fight with him.

It is a great night and lots of fun. Might seem like only a little thing but my favourite bit is the projections of the ghosts onto the buildings along Main Street. Oh and the music for the Boo-to-you parade. And Hallowishes

 

[sovietsong]

Great thanks for the info it was confusing me about the tickets as it says on the disney website "valid park ticket required" - which obv now means party ticket but it confused me lol - it seems a bargain to only pay 70 dollars roughly for 8 hours time in the park with all the extras thrown in - I wasn't gonna dress up but I probably will now -be cool if folk added pictures of there costumes to give he some ideas what the heck to go for

 

[bigskip]

I just bought a Mad Hatter hat last year, still was kinda fun. This year a full costume i think...

 

[foxxxy83]

Thanks for correcting me Wilma-bride! SO sorry for the mistake! I do just want to say though that I am in TOTAL agreement (for what it's worth)... yes, the ride queues were long but the atmosphere was buzzing and things like the character M&Gs of characters you wouldn't normally see, the parade, the fireworks etc... they are all worth paying that little bit extra so you can experience it. Got some FAB pics... will try uploading some later!

 

[wayneg]

We have done 5 MNSSHP at WDW and 2 at DLR, possibly going again this year.
Sept will be our first trip for many many years we won't have Disney tickets, once our AP expire in July we are not buying again for a few trips so a Party will be a great way to get our Disney fix.

 

[chmurf]

I have a rather daft question for the OP ...

when you say 7 day pass, do you mean 7 days Magic Your Way ticket (US) or 7 days Ultimate ticket (UK) ?

on a US Magic Your Way ticket, you can save a day by not going to any park before 4pm on the party day, and use your MNSSHP ticket after 4pm (or go to a water park in the morning if you have the WPF&M option)

on a UK Ultimate ticket, the day will be lost anyway, as those tickets are valid for 7 days from activation.

 

[Julia Ann]

We did MNSSHP on our last trip in 2006 we will be doing this again in oct with our DD6 (her first trip!). I'm wondering if the crowd levels have changed much, we didn't buy our party ticket until we arrived as I wanted to check the weather forecast for the week ahead, didn't wanna go on a rainy day. So we got our ticket from guest services when we arrived at the first disney park. It was same price as on-line as soon as released as long as not purchased at the gate same day you get the same discount.

But was 2006 a quieter year, I don't know? Maybe I should prebook ticket before we go

We dressed up a little but will be doing costumes this time

 

[wilma-bride]

I have a rather daft question for the OP ...

when you say 7 day pass, do you mean 7 days Magic Your Way ticket (US) or 7 days Ultimate ticket (UK) ?

on a US Magic Your Way ticket, you can save a day by not going to any park before 4pm on the party day, and use your MNSSHP ticket after 4pm (or go to a water park in the morning if you have the WPF&M option)

on a UK Ultimate ticket, the day will be lost anyway, as those tickets are valid for 7 days from activation.

chmurf, that's incorrect. The UK Ultimates are valid for 14 days duration from first use. The only difference with the 7-day pass is that you can only use it at the 6 main parks (AK, MK, DHS, EPCOT, BB and TL) on 7 out of those 14 days.

 

[2Tiggies]

But was 2006 a quieter year, I don't know? Maybe I should prebook ticket before we go

We dressed up a little but will be doing costumes this time

Quite a few of the October parties sold out last year. The ones around Columbus Day and anything later in the month, as well as Friday night parties may be worth booking once you are ready to commit to a date. You also get a small discount on the pre purchase price, assuming they continue to offer this, but it adds up if there are more people in your group.

We've had a real mix of crowd levels. We've been to two that were sold out and actually got a lot done, but we do as Tracy does and focus on the party events. Anything that is always available during normal hours, like rides for example, take second place in terms of priority, so that also helps.

We have also been to 3 parties where crowd levels were really low - as in, walk up to the kerb 10 minutes before the parade and take a front seat. We did the first party of the season in 2012 and that had fairly low crowd levels.

Don't be afraid of attending a sold out party. In a way, it adds to the atmosphere when the place is full of guests all dressed up with the lights and special effects. Just secure your tickets so you know you have them.

 

[wilma-bride]

If you have a specific date in mind, then I would definitely pre-book. You just never know how popular an individual party is going to be. As Lee says, later in the month the parties often sell out and the weekend parties are popular too.

We have bought tickets on the day before but that was when we decided, at the last minute, to go for a second time during the same holiday. I think the parties are definitely getting more popular and it is worth pre-booking. Just make sure to get the tickets will-call so you don't have to pay the extortionate delivery charges (although I wonder if, this year, they'll make it so the party tickets can be linked with your MDE, therefore erasing the need for actual tickets for those with MagicBands).

 

[sovietsong]

I have a rather daft question for the OP ... when you say 7 day pass, do you mean 7 days Magic Your Way ticket (US) or 7 days Ultimate ticket (UK) ? on a US Magic Your Way ticket, you can save a day by not going to any park before 4pm on the party day, and use your MNSSHP ticket after 4pm (or go to a water park in the morning if you have the WPF&M option) on a UK Ultimate ticket, the day will be lost anyway, as those tickets are valid for 7 days from activation.

hi , it's a 5 day pass I got off undercover tourist -so il do something else thru the day so I don't "waste" a day

 

[chmurf]

chmurf, that's incorrect. The UK Ultimates are valid for 14 days duration from first use. The only difference with the 7-day pass is that you can only use it at the 6 main parks (AK, MK, DHS, EPCOT, BB and TL) on 7 out of those 14 days.

thanks for clearing that up.
I had always assumed that Ultimates were like short term APs (minus the discounts) in a sense that they granted unlimited access for a set amount of time (as in consecutive days as is the case for 14 and 21 days ultimate). So I assumed that the 7 days were the same, I was wrong and should have read the fine prints

I've learned something today, thanks

 

[2Tiggies]

Going to try sell you the party by sharing our favorite things about the party nights:

You get to wear stuff you would never get away with wearing to work

<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/2tiggies/8090781080" title="Good to go? by Lee, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8327/8090781080_35d3158ece.jpg" width="500" height="408" alt="Good to go?"></a>

Specially themed decorations and merchandise are put out once the party starts. Of course the usual decorations are still up too but it really tops it off.

<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/2tiggies/8090774665" title="DSC_0159 by Lee, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8335/8090774665_f250a62737.jpg" width="500" height="395" alt="DSC_0159"></a>

<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/2tiggies/8517043156" title="Decked for the party (Main Street Confectionery) by Lee, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8241/8517043156_878f46539b.jpg" width="332" height="500" alt="Decked for the party (Main Street Confectionery)"></a>


(Next one was supposed to be a test for exposure settings on the camera but decided to keep it - liked the spooky look). Cast members all dressed up for the party. There is a very different atmosphere during the party compared to a 'normal' day or night at the park. The MK takes on a completely unique ambiance which is difficult to describe.

<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/2tiggies/8090756535" title="Ghost hosts by Lee, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8053/8090756535_b177ffe203.jpg" width="500" height="332" alt="Ghost hosts"></a>

I think part of it is down to the party lighting

<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/2tiggies/8236642278" title="Trick or Treat @ Jungle Cruise by Lee, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8485/8236642278_88a8eb0e21.jpg" width="500" height="332" alt="Trick or Treat @ Jungle Cruise"></a>

Frontierland looks a little different
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/2tiggies/8090753491" title="DSC_0213 by Lee, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8332/8090753491_272b84815f.jpg" width="500" height="302" alt="DSC_0213"></a>

<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/2tiggies/8127608853" title="After the party by Lee, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8471/8127608853_e8466c2c2f_c.jpg" width="800" height="494" alt="After the party"></a>

<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/2tiggies/8597998257" title="MK12-0950 by Lee, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8506/8597998257_785f35b8cd_c.jpg" width="800" height="531" alt="MK12-0950"></a>

Light projections all over the surfaces at random

<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/2tiggies/8127647874" title="DSC_0361 by Lee, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8329/8127647874_e3f2dc137a.jpg" width="500" height="479" alt="DSC_0361"></a>

<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/2tiggies/8162642267" title="Party lighting by Lee, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7248/8162642267_e1ee3b5ffc.jpg" width="500" height="332" alt="Party lighting"></a>

<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/2tiggies/8127522671" title="MNSSHP Lighting in Tomorrowland by Lee, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8331/8127522671_a42101f7b0_c.jpg" width="800" height="531" alt="MNSSHP Lighting in Tomorrowland"></a>

<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/2tiggies/8237043059" title="DSC_0357 by Lee, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8062/8237043059_99371e11d0_c.jpg" width="800" height="531" alt="DSC_0357"></a>

Strange encounters

<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/2tiggies/8127606206" title="Grim Grinning Ghosts come out to socialize by Lee, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8473/8127606206_3f6b8f6523.jpg" width="332" height="500" alt="Grim Grinning Ghosts come out to socialize"></a>

Themed snacks (not sure where they do these now that Main Street Bakery is a Starbucks)

<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/2tiggies/8127564482" title="Main Street Bakery party offerings by Lee, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8329/8127564482_1ac2ac25e3.jpg" width="500" height="332" alt="Main Street Bakery party offerings"></a> <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/2tiggies/8127563806" title="Main Street Bakery party offerings by Lee, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8326/8127563806_5f26b4c555.jpg" width="500" height="332" alt="Main Street Bakery party offerings"></a>


The Villains Mix n Mingle Show takes place several times on a schedule in front of the castle. It's short enough not to take much time out of your party but really worth stopping for if you can do it.

<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/2tiggies/8090734055" title="Villains Mix n Mingle by Lee, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8475/8090734055_1a9a677757_z.jpg" width="640" height="420" alt="Villains Mix n Mingle"></a>

<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/2tiggies/8090738642" title="Villains Mix n Mingle by Lee, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8473/8090738642_26cd9a2257.jpg" width="500" height="332" alt="Villains Mix n Mingle"></a>

<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/2tiggies/8090733605" title="Villains Mix n Mingle by Lee, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8325/8090733605_db0ee21902.jpg" width="500" height="332" alt="Villains Mix n Mingle"></a>